super clean all kustom w116 300sd manual transmission conversion project!!!

[imryanmoriarty]

hey guys i have a w116 chassis 1980 300sd its a pretty neat car here is a pic of it



i deliver pizza and one day i was delivering pizza and there was a noise and the car wouldnt go in gear i did
some research on the Internet and found out that the torque converted or b2 piston probably took a dump.
not knowing what those things are i was like dang it and thought about pulling the engine and scrapping the car.
VERY emotional

then my buddy saw a retired dude on craigslist selling a automatic w123 chassis 240d along with a w123
manual trans + all the trash you would need to convert an automatic w123 to manual so i hit the dude up
and ended up getting him to sell me the transmission and other junk for 475

i thought it would be a really chill project because converting these old mercedes diesels from automatic to
manual is like one of the most well documented things on the whole Internet but then i got to googling and
it seemed like every mercedes nerd who ever made a thread about converting a w116 300sd to manual
gave up after a bunch of idiots who didnt know what they were talking about told them wrong things so i
just wanted to let this thread be the Internet documentation of the process

ok so its basically the most trivial thing of all time but you will need some stuff:


a shop helper is essential


dont forget to tie your door to something cause its really annoying installing the pedal cluster and having
a door shutting on you all the time

once you have the right tools for the job its time to get started. everything from a 240d bolts right onto
a w116 300sd like seriously its the easiest thing of all time. only stuff i needed to modify was the shift
linkages and the stupid transmission mount crossmember


we drilled some holes in the 240 crossmember to get it to work on the w116. all kustom



make sure to get good and faded before you start working on the car. all work and no play makes mercedes suck!!!

i saw in a lot of threads before where people were asking about this conversion and people were saying
you needed a pedal cluster from a german w116 gasser with a manual trans. fyi thats not true the w123
240d pedal cluster bolts right in. all the hydraulic lines from a 240d work in a w116. the driveshaft from
a manual 240d also fits unmodified lol.

heres a video of me driving the car: super clean kustom 300sd w116 project - YouTube

i think i covered everything pls let me know if you have any questions

[colincoon]

Kenny Powers?

[Augenblick]

Not to knock your green machine, but I want to know what the guy with the schnorchel is up to.

[moon161]

Priceless, every frame and word. Now I want a snorkel and teeth on the grille. Can't do the sawzall convertible in my climate tho.

[Mölyapina]

Originally Posted by imryanmoriarty

i saw in a lot of threads before where people were asking about this conversion and people were saying
you needed a pedal cluster from a german w116 gasser with a manual trans. fyi thats not true the w123
240d pedal cluster bolts right in. all the hydraulic lines from a 240d work in a w116. the driveshaft from
a manual 240d also fits unmodified lol.

Ah, the uber-rare R116!

Did you chop it into a convertible or was that the PO? Either way, it actually looks neat. I've always loved four-door convertibles. Do you know how strong the chopped-up b-pillars are in regard to holding the seat belts? I would assume that the roof had been providing them a a good amount of rigidity.

Dis you say that the 240D shaft bolted right in? Sweeet. That's great to know.

[imryanmoriarty]

Originally Posted by Jooseppi Luna

Ah, the uber-rare R116!

Did you chop it into a convertible or was that the PO? Either way, it actually looks neat. I've always loved four-door convertibles. Do you know how strong the chopped-up b-pillars are in regard to holding the seat belts? I would assume that the roof had been providing them a a good amount of rigidity.

Dis you say that the 240D shaft bolted right in? Sweeet. That's great to know.

the previous owner chopped it. its a real good idea though, especially around here. the b pillars arent very rigid haha. like if youre standing next to the car you can wiggle them a good amount with your hands

and yeah the manual 240d driveshaft bolted right into the 116. it was a really casual conversion

[Simpler=Better]

Awesome build! Can you chop the B pillars flush and move the seat belt pivot?

[imryanmoriarty]

Originally Posted by Simpler=Better

Awesome build! Can you chop the B pillars flush and move the seat belt pivot?

thats not a bad idea actually. ill probably do that after im done with the electrical. right now the neutral safety switch from the automatic transmission is dangling from the undercarriage. theres four wires that go into it, i believe the violet wire and the white/violet wire are the two for the NSS and the other two i imagine are for the reverse lights

im guessing if i just jump the violet and white/violet wire then the car will just start no matter what and if i connect the other two to the reverse light switch wiring harness on the shifter then my reverse lights will work again but ill probably just end up blowing a bunch of fuses and getting a headache cause electrical isnt my strong suit at all

[Mölyapina]

Originally Posted by imryanmoriarty

...but ill probably just end up blowing a bunch of fuses and getting a headache...

. That's what I feel like whenever I attempt an electrical project.

[tjts1]

Whicked. Is that pic in Pismo Beach?

[shadetree77]

Love it. guess i found a project for my W116

[w123love]

From the manual car there is a pigtail wire that takes the place of the NSS. Its plugs right in so you don't have to be creative to get the back up lights to work.

[Ndralle]

What a piece of *****...

J/K.

I've drunk drove this thang. Its pretty fun to drive. (Terrible to sit in the back seat on the freeway after being parked under an oak tree for a year)

[Ndralle]

Originally Posted by colincoon

Kenny Powers?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ROTFLOL!!!

HELL YEAH.

Best Comment Ever.

[cooljjay]

Originally Posted by Ndralle

I've drunk drove this thang. Its pretty fun to drive. (Terrible to sit in the back seat on the freeway after being parked under an oak tree for a year)

True, but it has to be great for growing mushrooms in